Schizopathes crassa Brook, 1889

Lima, Manuela M., Cordeiro, Ralf T. S. & Perez, Carlos D., 2019, Black Corals (Anthozoa: Antipatharia) from the Southwestern Atlantic, Zootaxa 4692 (1), pp. 1-67 : 37

Schizopathes crassa Brook, 1889

Fig. 35

Schizopathes crassa Brook, 1889: 147–148 , pl. VIII, figs. 1–5; Opresko, 1997: 159–161, fig. 1; Opresko, 2002: 414, fig. 1. Bathypathes (Schizopathes) affinis: Van Pesch, 1914: 27–29 (em parte).

? Schizopathes crassa: Hickson, 1907: 6 .

Type and type locality. BMNH 1890.4 .9.10, 36º38’60”S, 50º46’58.8”W, off Montevideo, Uruguay, 3474 m .

Diagnosis. “Colony monopodial, unbranched, but pinnulate. Pinnules simple, arranged alternately in two lateral rows along the stem, and decreasing in length from base to apex. Maximum length of pinnules about 20 cm on colonies 30 cm tall (total length of stem) and about 30 cm on colonies 55 cm tall. Pinnules in each row usually 10–12 mm apart on lower parts of stem; becoming more closely spaced towards apex of corallum. Interior angle formed by lateral rows of pinnules 180° over most of corallum; <180° for lowermost pair, and greater or less than 180° for several pairs at top of corallum. Distal angle of pinnules 55–60° on lower parts of corallum but <45° near apex. Spines small, triangular and compressed; typically 0.06–0.08 mm tall (from midpoint of base to apex; range, 0.04–0.1 mm); arranged in rows with varying degrees of regularity; 3–5 spines per millimeter. Largest spines usually on polyp side of pinnules; abpolypar spines slightly smaller than polypar spines. Polyps 4–6 mm in transverse diameter on pinnules; <4 mm at basal end of pinnules and on stem. Polyps arranged uniserially, with two per centimeter” ( Opresko, 1997).

Distribution. South Atlantic, off Uruguay (fig. 35) ( Brook, 1889), Indian Ocean, off Tasmânia ( Opresko, 1997) and Antarctica ( Opresko, 1997); from 2836 m ( Opresko, 1997) to 3474 m depths ( Brook, 1889).

Figures

FIGURE 35. Geographic distribution of antipatharians species occurring in the Southwestern Atlantic not analyzed in the present work.